Recorder



7 Nov. 14,1939. E. A. LINK, JR 2f179-663 RECORDER I Filed Sept. 50, 19364 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 14, 1939. E. A. LINK, JR 2,179,663

RECORDER Fil'ed Sept. 50. 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 50mm ,4. L/Mr,1/72 BY/ ATTORNEY.

Nov. 14, 1939. E. A. LINK, JR

RECORDER Filed Sept. 30, 1936 4 Sheets -Sheet 3 INVENTOR. [a M/V I. l, MA ,Jfi

ORNEY.

Nov. 14, 1939. E. A. LINK, JR 3 I RECORDER Filed Sept. 50; 1936 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. [ow/409. LIA/K, 27?,

v ATI-"ORNEY.

Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED ST T S PATENT OFFICE v aacoanea.

Edwin A. Link, In, Binghamton, N. y. Application September so, 1936,Serial No. 163,377

3 Claims. (Cl. 234-15) My invention relates to 'a recorder andparticularly to a recording means for transcribing on a chart themovement of an instrument remote from the recorder and connectedtherewith by means of autosynchronous motors of the Selsyn type andelectrical conductors. l

My invention is particularly useful and will be illustrated anddescribed in connection with an aviation trainer such as is described inmy prior Patent No. 1,825,462 dated September 29, 1931, and also myco-pending application, Serial No. 737,081, filed July 26, 1934, inwhich students are trained in the art of flying by instruments.

An important object of my invention lies in the provision of a recordingmeans whereby every turning movement of the trainer will besimultaneously made by the recorder and whereby the recorder movescontinuously in whatever direction it is turned to, such movement beingin proportion to the predetermined and assumed forward speed of thetrainer, simulating the flight of an aeroplane through the air.

Another object of my invention lies in the provision of a recordingmeans of this character which provides on a suitable chart an exactrecord of the movements of the trainer or other instrument with whichthe recorder is connected,-

wherebyby there is preserved an accurate indication of the performanceof the pilot or operator of the trainer or other instrument.

Although I have shown and will describe my invention as particularly andespecially applicable to trainers for aviators, it will be understoodthat I do not wish to be limited to such use as it will be obvious fromthe invention as the description thereof proceeds, that. the recorder iscapable of a wide variety of uses and in connection with many andvarious types of instruments wherein it is desired to record on a chartthe movements thereof.

Referring now to the drawings accompanying this application and whereinlike reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a chart upon which my recorder operates,and including a perspective diagrammatic view of a trainer showing theconnections between the same and the recorder.

Figure 2 is a detail side view of the driving connection between thetrainer and the autosynchronous motor thereon.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the recorder showing the covr plate andthe electrical contact or connecting means for the autosynchronousmotors.

Figure 4 is a front edge view of the recorder.

Figure 5 is a side edge view of the recorder, certain parts being brokenaway from cleamess of illustration.

Figure 6 is adetail top plan view illustrating the I gearing of therecorder.

Figure '7 is a detail side view showing the driving means for thegearing.

The reference character I refers to a trainer for aviators and whichcomprises generally a frame 1 provided with a cockpit 2 over which isadapted to be placed a hood or housing 3 to enclose the student pilottherein. The trainer is built tosimulate an aeroplane with wings, tailgroup, etc. and is provided with means for moving the trainer through,all the various positions which an aeroplane-may take in actual flight,except completely turning over. The trainer is mounted upon a base 4provided with a portion 5 marked off with compass directions and thetrainer is 20 rotatably mounted upon such base for complete 360 degreerotation thereon.

The detailed construction and operation of the trainer form no part ofthis invention and have not been shown nor will they be described 5herein in detail. Reference is made to applicant's prior patent andco-pending application above cited for such details. Suflice it to sayhere that the trainer is suitably mounted upon a rotatable shaft 5 (seeFigure 2) which shaft is provided 30 with a gear I meshing with a pinion8 on the shaft 9 of an autosynchronous motor In suitably sup.- ported onthe trainer base. Rotary movements of the trainer therefore result insimultaneous and like movements of the shaft 9 of the motor ll 35 andwhich movements are translated through such motor into the electricalimpulses which pass through the cable II to the recorder.

In the'normal use of the trainer, an instructor is usually positioned ata desk or table, in full 40' view of the trainer, and as fuly explainedin applicants co-pending application Serial No. 737,- 081, theinstructor transmits signals to the student pilot in the trainer inaccordance with the position of the trainer with respect to apredetermined 45 location, the problem being for the student tointerpret such signals and after a predetermined lapse of time baseduponasumed "speed of the trainer, to bring the trainer to such predeterminedlocation. 50

Heretofore it has been necessary for the instructor to mark by hand upona suitable chart, the path or .fiight" of the trainer during suchinstruction. vIn addition to burdening the instructor with this markingof the course of the trainer 55 on the chart, there has always been thechance for error on the part of the instructor in marking such courseand there also exists the question in the mind of the student pilot asto whether the instructor properly recorded the test "flight".

By my recording means I have eliminated these problems and am able toaccurately record the exact path or course of the trainer exactly as thestudent responds to the signals transmitted by the instructor.

The reference character 52 indicates a chart such as may be used in thisconnection and on which there is printed or otherwise suitablyinscribed, concentric circles 13, the distance between which correspondsto a certain elapsed time based upon a predetermined and assumed speedof the trainer in simulation of an aeroplane in flight. At the center ofthe circles it is assumed there is a radio station adjacentan airportfor broadcasting directional signals outwardly in four sections ll, l5,l6 and H. In these sections the signals sent out are the usual Morsecode dot and dash signals representing the letters A and N, the signal Nbeing sent out in the section H, the letter A in IS, N in IS, and A inIT, thus alternating the signals in adjacent sections. In the marginalareas of these sections where the A and N signals overlap, suchoverlapping of the dot-dash A signal and the dashdot N signal combine toproduce a continuous hum in a path slightly diverging from the centralpoint outwardly and such constitutlngthe '"on course signals or beamsconverging upon the center point. As shown in Figure 1, these beams areillustrated on the chart as l8, I9, '20; and 2|.

It will be clear, therefore, that if the instructor arbitrarily locatesthe trainer at any given position on the chart, by watching thedirection of the trainer and the length of time it stays in any givendirection, the instructor can transmit the signals to the pilot in thetrainer corresponding to his position as arbitrarily located on thechart and can trace on the chart the path of the flight of the trainerfrom such point until the test "flight is completed.

By my invention thisflight path can be traced automatically by myrecorder which will now be described in detail.

The recorder is indicated generally as R and comprises a supportingplate 22 above and spaced from which is a top or cover plate 23 securedin parallel spaced relation with the supporting plate by means of screws24. Suitably supported on the underside of the plate 22, as by the frame25 and screws 25, is an autosynchronous motor 21, the shaft 28 of whichextends upwardly through the plate 22 and is provided at its upper endwith the spaced pinions 29 and 30. Thelower pinion 23 meshes with tworelatively large gears 3| and 32 suitably mounted upon shafts 33 and 34respectively joumaled in the base plate 22. The upper pinion meshes witha gear 35 mounted upon a shaft 36 also journaledin the base plate 22.Obviously therefore, rotation of the motor shaft 28 will result insimultaneous and like motion of the gears 3|, 32 and 35.

The shafts 33and 34 of the gears 3| and 32 extend downwardly through theplate 22 and through bushings 31 secured to the underside of the plate22. These shafts are provided with ball bearing journals 33 in the plate22 and in the bushings 31.

The lower end of the shafts 33 project below the bushings 31 as at 39and secured to such lower projecting ends, as by the bolts or screws thecircles on the chart.

arcades All, are supporting brackets 4 5, through which are iournaledthe. shafts 42 of motors indicated genorally at 63, also supported onthe brackets ll. The motors 43 are provided with brushes 44 whichcontact rings 45 around the bushings 3'7 and through which rings andbrushes the motors are provided with electric current for rotating theshafts 42 thereof.

The projecting ends of the shafts 42 are pro-.

vided with pinions 46 meshing with driving gears 47! mounted upon shafts48 journaled in the frames ti. are propelling wheels 49 by means ofwhich the recorder is supported and by which it moves.

The shaft 33 upon which the gear. 35 is mounted, also projectsdownwardly through the plate 22 and through a bushing 56, saidshaitbeing provided with ball bearing journals 5! in the plate 22 and in thebushing 58. The lower projecting end of the shaft 36 has suitablyjournaled thereon a marking wheel 52 adapted to receive ink from aninking roller 53 plvotally mounted upon the shaft 36 as by.the link 54.The periphery of the inking roller 53 rides upon the wheel 52 to keepthe periphery thereof supplied with ink.

The top plate 23 is provided with an electric contact plug or terminal55 provided with contact pins 56 adapted to receive and engage with aplug carried at the end of the cable ll, whereby electric contact isestablished between the autosynchronous motor I 0 on: the trainer andthe autosynchronous motor 21 on the recorder, as well as supplyingcurrent to the-motors 43. Suitable wires 5! connect the terminal plug 55with the motors 21 and 43. Any suitable source of current may beprovided, the same being diagrammatically illustrated at 58 in Figure 1.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assume that a student pilotis positioned in the trainer I and ready to begin his test "flight. Theinstructor places the recorder R at any selected point on the chart I2before him such as for instance at the point marked X in section I I, onthe chart. The instructor then transmits signals to the student in thetrainer corresponding to such position, namely, the N signal and at arelatively low volume because of the distance from the airport or centerof the chart. The student by noting the signals as they are received byhim and checking their variation in volume and change in character as heturns the trainer from one direction to another, locates himself withrespect to the airport and flies to it as near as he can. The recorder Rmoves continuously and at a rather low rate of speed proportional to theassumed speed of the trainer and The recorder also turns on the chartsimultaneously with and exactly corresponding-to every turn of thetrainer because of the autosynchronous motor Ed onthe trainer and thecommunication of the electric impulses therefrom through the cable It tothe autosynchronous motor 21 on the recorder. Every turning movement ofthe shaft 28 of the motor 21 on the recorder results in rotation of thegears 3!, 32 and 35, through the pinions 29 and 30, thus causing thepropelling wheels 69 and the marking wheel 52 to turn in the same mannerand direction thereby tracing the chart the complete course of thetrainer.

After the test flight has been completed, the Pilot and instructor arethus provided with an accurate chart of the flight just concluded andfrom which can be readily observed errors and Also mounted upon theshafts :28

arracss 3 diversions from the proper course from the original assumedstarting point to the assumed airport or radio station.

is particularly adaptable for use with trainers oi the characterdescribed, it is also equally adaptable for recording the movements ofother and varied instruments as well.

Of course, changes may bemade in details of construction and arrangementof parts without departing from the spirit and scope oi my invention. Ido not limit myself, therefore, to the exact Iorm herein shown anddescribed other than by the appended claims.

I claim:

L'In combination with a trainer, ship or the like mounted for rotationabout a iixed axis, an autosynchronou's motor therein responsive to suchrotation, a recorder remote therefrom having a marking wheel andpropellingwheela-a chart over which said recorder is adapted to be movedin accordance with simulated movement of said trainer or ship, means foroperating said propelling wheels to move said recorder at a speedcorresponding to an assumed forward speed or said trainer or ship, andmeans onflsaid recorder and connected with said propelling wheels toturn the same directionally as the direction of the trainer shipchanges, said means including an autosynchronous motor on said recorderelectidcallv connected with the autosynchronous motor on said trainer orship.

2. In combination with a training device for aviators or the like,mounted for rotation about a fixed axis, a recording device havingmarlEing means thereon and propelling means associated therewith, achart over which said recorder is adapted to move in accordance with thesimulated movement of said trainer, means associated with said trainerand said recorder to move said recorder over said chart at a spedcorresponding to an assumed torwardspeed of said trainer, and

means on said recorder associated with said propelling means to turnsaid recorder directionally as the direction of simulated movement ofsaid trainer changes.

3. In combination with a training device ior aviators or the like,mounted for rotation about a fixed axis, a course recorder oi the typehaving 4 motors for designating distance and direction, said directionmotor being connected to said trainer in such manner as to cause therecording means to move in a direction corresponding to the orientationof the trainer, and said distance mortor being provided with means fordriving said course recorder at a rate corresponding to the assumedtor-ward speed of the trainer.

apwm a. max. a.

